How young is too young?

[cruzbear]

We're planning an extended family cruise for this summer and need to know what the policy is on babies. One couple has a new baby that would be about six months old when we plan to travel. We can't seem to find any official rule from any cruise line concerning the minimum age -- does anyone have any insight on this? Obviously mom and dad are not too concerned about thoroughly enjoying this trip if they're willing to bring the baby ;)

[paul929207]

Each cruise line has their own rules. With Princess, I believe the minimum age is 6 or 12 months depending on the itinerary.

[cb at sea]

6 mos. is the common min. age....it may be older for some itineraries.

[kitty9]

It is 6 months, and not one day younger, for cruising to Alaska. Cruise lines changed their policy of not having minimum ages when there were a number of cases of infants becoming very ill on cruise ships. Ships are not equipped to deal with the problems of infants younger than 12 months, and if there's a problem they will evacuate the child from the ship, at great cost. I was on a cruise recently when a 6 month old got very sick, and stopped breathing. We had to return to the port of Aruba to have the child removed from the ship for treatment.

[6rugrats]

Each cruiseline has these policies on their webpages. Lots of times you can pull it up by doing a search, or looking under FAQ.

 

A fairly recent listing can be found here:

 

http://www.*****.com/preg-infant.cfm

[wrp96]

The minimum ages vary by cruiseline and itinerary. For most, it is at the least 6 months on day of sailing, with some up to 12 months. Before you book, make sure to check your specific cruiseline's policy for your specific itinerary, as it can vary by itinerary even.

[mizLORInj]

I love to hear about family vacations that included babies. My adorable nephew took his first family cruise on his first birthday, and has already been on another. There is nothing like relaxing time with the family for fun memories. Even if he doesn't remember much of it later in life, it's certainly an adventure for him at the moment, and we all enjoy the time with him very much.

[Aunty Pat]

As a travel agent I have had to deal with the minimum age restrictions many times. As a rule 6 months on the day of departure is the minimum age for cruises in the Caribbean, Alaska & around the Hawaiian Island. Trans Atlantic and European cruises 12 months in the minimum age. This information can be found on the cruise line’s web site (frequently asked questions) or in the back of their brochures.

 

This being said some of the cruise lines will allow babies less than 6 months, but there is a lot of paperwork involved - baby’s doctor’s approval following an examination within a week of departure, release of liability from the parents, etc.

 

Aunty Pat

 

 

Barefoot Windjammer - Phantom ‘81

K&D German Rhine Line ‘84

NCL - Norway ’85, Pride of America ’05, Southward ’87, Star ’97 & ‘05, Starward ’92, Sun ’02 & Windward ’93

RCCL - Song of America ’89 & Oasis of the Seas ’10

American Hawaiian - Independence ‘98

HAL - Volendam ’99, Noordam ’06, Oosterdam ’07 & ‘09, Statendam ’02 & ‘08, Prinsendam ’03 & ’06, Westerdam ‘09 & Zuiderdam ’04, ’06 & ’07

Carnival - Spirit ‘05

Celebrity – Summit ‘05

Cruise West - Yorktown Clipper ‘06

Princess - Golden Princess ‘07

A & K - East Queen ‘07

Cunard - QM2 ’08

Crystal – Serenity ‘09

Lindblad Expeditions – Sea Bird ‘10

Future Cruises:

Paul Gauguin – February 9, 2011

[Azure Moon]

You didn't say which cruiseline you're planning to sail.

 

The following clickable link is from NCL's facts page. It tells about the line's age requirement (6 months and up), reduced fares, kids programs, swimming pool use, etc. and other information about sailing with NCL. http://www2.ncl.com/faq#n19252

 

Have a great time.